Posts Tagged “feature”
Total U.S. fruit intake declined 7 percent to 0.93 cup equivalent per person per day in 2017–18 from 1 cup equivalent in 2003–04.
A 50-percent drop in fruit juice intake, from 0.46 cup equivalent per person per day in 2003–04 to 0.23 cup equivalent in 2017-18, drove the overall decrease in fruit consumption.
For a nutritionally adequate diet, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025 advises individuals to consume about one cup equivalent of fruit for every 1,000 calories, with some variations for children and adolescents based on sex and physical activity.
Fruit is a rich source of nutrients, including dietary fiber, potassium, calcium, and vitamin D. Given the importance of this food group to diet quality, the USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) recently examined U.S. fruit consumption patterns and trends.
These data come from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which nutritionists use to study diet quality.
CASTROVILLE, CA — North America’s leading grower and shipper of fresh artichokes, has officially kicked off their spring season.
With their annual migration north complete, the company’s transition to its spring/summer growing region – in Castroville and Salinas Valley, CA – is in full production.
“The spring crop is looking great,” said Ben Wilson, commodity account manager. Continuing, “If these first harvests are any indication of what our season will bring…it’s going to be a good one!” Wilson emphasized.
Easter was a big artichoke holiday, and this year was no exception.
“We will have promotable volumes in a variety of pack sizes to support customer demand,” Wilson stated.
In addition to our ample supply of green artichokes, our purple artichokes are a real fan-favorite and hard to keep on the shelves when retailers stock them.
“These first spring harvests of purple artichokes are yielding a beautiful crop; we expect good volumes for Easter and through April and possibly into May,” said Wilson.
About Ocean Mist Farms
Established in 1924, Ocean Mist Farms is a fourth-generation family-owned business located in Castroville, California. This company – the largest grower/shipper of fresh artichokes in No. America – celebrated their milestone 100-year anniversary in 2024. Committed to consistently delivering the highest standards in the industry for their Gold Standard artichokes, the company also offers a full line of 30+ premium fresh vegetable commodities and value-added products including their new award-winning Roastables Ready-To-Roast kits and Season & Steam lines.
Plátanos de Canarias just joined forces with Ausolan, a Spanish business group, to create an initiative to teach kids about the importance of physical activity and balanced, nutritious meals by collaborating with school kitchens.
The collaboration’s focus is to battle childhood obesity, which the organization says is a front-and-center issue in Spain.
According to a press release from the company, 36.1% of children between the ages of 2 and 17 are overweight, and 15.9% suffer from obesity.
The organization is also launching a special challenge for kids to win 50-spot kits with everything you need to stay active: a soccer ball, water bottle, gym towel, and pool shoes.
- Plantains are rich sources of complex carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.
- Plantains promote bowel regularity due to their fiber content.
- They are good for heart health.
- Plantains are versatile and can be used in various dishes.
To participate, kids should post a photo on their favorite social media platform practicing a sport with their favorite fruit, tag the organization’s Instagram: @platano_decanarias and use the hashtag #LaFrutaDelDeporte.
Watsonville, CA – A bountiful harvest of California strawberries has arrived for California Giant Berry Farms, as the company shares news of strong volumes of its cornerstone product.
The berry purveyor’s high yields of excellent quality fruit ensures peak promotable volumes of California strawberries throughout the coming months.
The Santa Maria region is showing strong early season production of conventional and organic strawberries exhibiting ideal size, quality, and flavor. Peak volumes are anticipated to arrive by mid-May. Notably, organic production in Santa Maria will mirror the conventional peak, ensuring a steady supply of premium organic fruit as we move into the middle of May.
The Watsonville and Salinas growing region is also ramping up production, with volumes increasing weekly. Currently, spring rains have caused temporary harvest disruptions, but the company projects peak harvest volumes to be sustained throughout the month of June. Ranches in the region are reporting excellent fruit quality, flavor, and impressive size. The Watsonville/Salinas organic peak will mirror that of Santa Maria, hitting its stride in mid-May.
Blueberry supplies are extremely limited, as the California and Georgia seasons are off to slow starts. Expect elevated prices and low volume for the next three weeks, according to Markon of Salinas, CA.
The Mexican season is past its peak, as production is rapidly decreasing and is expected to end in late May.
The Georgia season has been delayed up to two weeks due to unseasonably cool weather. Florida volume is down 40 percent compared to this time last year. California’s San Joaquin Valley season is expected to start the week of May 5.
Demand far exceeds supply, and the industry will remain in a production gap for the next three weeks. Expect high markets and pro-rated orders for the next three weeks.
Berry grower and marketer Wish Farms says it is gearing up for a high-quality crop of organic Georgia blueberries, highlighting its south Georgia grower, Major League Blueberries. The high-density 160-acre organic farm is owned and operated by Malcolm McCoy and former major league outfielder and current Atlanta Braves television color analyst Jeff Francoeur.
“They are a top-quality producer that has invested heavily in the infrastructure of their farm,” Wish Farms Blueberry Grower Relations Manager Joel Whitehead said in a news release.
MLB uses automated harvesting and is an early adopter of the Netherlands-based FineField Harvy500, according to Wish Farms. The remote-controlled platform gives the farm flexibility to supplement its hand harvesting without sacrificing quality, the company added.
“Their attention to detail, as well as their clean, well-manicured fields are second to none; the innovative techniques they employ really set them apart,” Whitehead said.
MLB begin harvesting organic blueberries the third week of April and will continue into June. The farm features Farthing, Suziblue, San Joaquin, Spring High, and Legacy blueberry varieties. Wish Farm says weather has been ideal for the MLB farm and expects its crop to record strong yields.
“Jeff and Malcolm have both been very successful in their careers,” Whitehead said. “They bring the same excellence to their farming operation, and we have been proud to work with them for the last seven years.”
While avocados loadings spike leading up to Cinco de Mayo, Mission Produce of Oxnard, CA reports mango volume also jumps ahead of the holiday. Cinco de Mayo is the second highest peak each year for avocados following the Super Bowl. However, the holiday is the leading volume jumper for mangoes.
Shipments were big for both fruits for Cinco de Mayo last year: 32.4 million pounds of avocados and 12.4 million pounds of mangos were shipped, generating a combined $99 million in sales, according to market research firm Circana. Consumer insight and data company Numerator is projecting those numbers to increase this year.
The industry is looking at double-digit lifts in volume sales of avocados and mangos for Cinco de Mayo. In 2024, the celebration gave avocados an 18 percent volume lift and mangos a 25 percent boost in volume sales compared to the prior week, according to Circana.
Grape loadings from the California desert kick off domestic shipments each year and once again it will begin from the Coachella Valley.
California table grape growers shipped 91.5 million 19-pound boxes to 56 markets worldwide in 2024, according to the Fresno-based California Table Grape Commission.
Though the first estimate for this year’s crop won’t be taken until late April, growers report another robust harvest. Coachella typically wraps up in late June or early July when the vast majority of shipments for the season will start coming out the San Joaquin Valley by mid-July.
Tudor Ranch in Mecca, CA., expects to start shipping grapes no later than May 12.
Two red varieties, Karizma and flame, launch the season. Other varieties from Tudor Ranch include sugraone; valley pearl, which is a large, round grape; black seedless varieties; and Timco, which starts midseason and continues until the season ends around July 10.
The company also will add the red seedless Torch variety this season and has planted an early green grape called ARRA Honey Pop, which should debut next year.
Fruitful of McFarland, CA will start its table grape seaspm in July and predicts a heavy crop, which will be larger than last year.
The company grows around 10 varieties, which include flame, sugraone, Ivory, Scarlet Royal, Sweet Globe, Autumn King and Allison.
Flame, the first variety to be harvested.
Tudor Ranch sees plenty of Coachella grape volume being available for Memorial Day.
The United States imported 22.7 million tons of fresh fruits and vegetables in 2023, with Mexico being the largest supplier, accounting for 50 percent share of the total imported, followed by Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Canada, according to FEPEX.
Spain is the first EU country to supply the U.S. market with 29,674 tons; as reported by FEPEX.
The United States imported 11.4 million tons of fresh fruits and vegetables from Mexico, which represented half of the total. After Mexico, the main non-national suppliers to the U.S. market are Guatemala, with 2.8 million tons; Costa Rica, with 1.9 million tons; and Canada, with 1.7 million tons. These four countries represent 78 percent of total U.S. fruit and vegetable imports.
After the top four, the next ranking U.S. supplier countries are Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Honduras, Colombia, Argentina, South Africa, the Dominican Republic, China, Panama, Brazil, Morocco, New Zealand, and Spain.
Spain ranks 18th in terms of countries from which the United States imports. However, it is the first in the EU and Europe, with 29,674 tons in 2023. It is followed by Italy, with 17,555 tons, coming in at number 23 in the list of suppliers to the U.S. market; Greece occupies 24th place, with 15,953 tons; and the Netherlands is ranked 29th, with 9,038 tons.
As explained in prior FEPEX news, Spanish and EU exports of fruit and vegetables to the United States are very limited, largely due to the phytosanitary barriers imposed by the American administration on the entry of certain products in the form of phytosanitary export protocols.
We are well into spring with melon loadings and summertime means peak shipments.
Here’s a round up from a few shippers on what they are expecting in the weeks and months ahead.
Pacific Trellis Fruit/Dulcinea Farms, Los Angeles is starting the season with three different labels of melons, Pure Sweetness, Pure Sunshine and Pure Crunch. The company also will be shipping mini seedless watermelon, known as PureHearts. The firm grows organic and conventional full-size seedless watermelons called Sugar Daddy.
It also has a Tuscan Style extra-sweet cantaloupe and a great-tasting yellow mini seedless watermelon called SunnyGold.
Dixondale Farms in Carrizo Springs, TX, may be known for growing onions, but it also has the Navigator cantaloupe from early June until mid-July. It has been shipping the Navigator for nearly 30 years.
The company has significant production areas in Arizona and California.
MAS Melons & Grapes of Rio Rico, AZ has been shipping honeydews and watermelons since the company was started 28 years ago. It transitioned its melon program from the states of Colima and Nayarit in central Mexico to Sonora in the north in early April and has good volume.